Ashlyn Saunders is breathing easier these days after waking up from a horrific dream.

“This was really a shocking experience, you know, opening up that envelope and getting seven bills all totaling $8,000,” Saunders said.

She and her husband Ed received a seven-page bill in early August. The Saunders were unaware there had been a leak in their Kailua home for months because their bill had stayed in the $200 range.

When they contacted the Board of Water Supply (BWS), they were told their previous bills were based on an estimate and had since been reconciled. Their new bill was really $3,000. The Saunders say if they were told about the spike in usage, they would have found and corrected the problem sooner.

“After the story was broadcast, other families or people we knew had shared their stories,” Saunders said.

So they continued to question their actual consumption. After further investigation, the BWS adjusted their water usage from 264,000 gallons to 18,000 gallons based on actual meter reads.

“That’s a great adjustment. We’re really happy with the outcome and we hope other families that are going through similar situations can work with the Board of Water Supply and come to great outcomes as well,” Saunders said.

Their balance was also adjusted from $3,000.72 to $926.51.

“Appreciate them working with us, that they’re looking at ways to correct not only myself, but other families out there,” Saunders said. “Every story is a little bit different amounts, so it is via case-by-case.”

The BWS apologized to the family for the multiple bills and also expressed their appreciation to other customers for their patience as they work through some of their billing issues.

“Being able to have a nice resolution working with the Board of Water Supply and of course Channel 2 News and yourself, bringing the story out. Not only did it help us, but I think it’s going to help a lot of other families out there. So, thank you guys very much,” Saunders said.